Don't look back
by jayjthebigmouth
Summary: Sequel to Forever and always. Hazel has moved out of the house with Sam, so A decides to get an apartment . . . And a college education, at the insistence of her mother. So she leaves home, not knowing she will soon become forever changed.
1. Chapter 1

_This is ridiculous . . ._

Sighing, A gave one last attempt to remove the bag from the car. Normally, she would have had the help of her bodyguard. But, as he was on his honeymoon, _with her sister,_ she had to do it herself.

"Need some help?" A voice asked behind her. She spun around. There was a boy standing there. He looked to be about her age. He had jet black hair, and vibrant green eyes. From his easy, relaxed smirk, she could tell he was the kind of guy who had girls falling at his feet.

 _And I will not be one of them,_ she vowed.

"No, thank you. I've got it." He rolled his eyes, and lifted the bag out easily.

"And now I've got it." She scowled.

"I could have done that."

"A thank you would suffice." Her scowl, if possible, grew even more pronounced. She lifted the handle of the bag, and dragged it towards the admissions office, the wheels making a huge racket as they clattered over the paving stones.

 _The nerve of that boy . . ._

And she didn't even know his name.

Dylan had been minding his own business, when he heard the sounds of someone swearing loudly. It had been a girl, trying in vain to get a bag out of her car. So he had offered his assistance. She had refused adamantly. A fleeting grin graced his face as he remembered how funny the scowl had looked on her fine, petite features. He had helped anyway, and hadn't even got a thank you. Instead, she had gotten more mad, and stormed off clumsily towards the admissions office.

 _The nerve of that girl._

He watched her go. She fell twice, and the sounds of her colorful swearing echoed across the parking lot.

And he didn't even know her name.


	2. Chapter 2

A was sitting in a seat in the cafeteria, trying to read, when somebody sat down next to her.

"Well, fancy seeing you here." She turned her head. It was the boy from the parking lot. She sighed, and closed her book.

"What do you want?"

"Just wondering . . . I never caught your name, earlier."

"Artemis." He nodded.

"Cool. I'm Dylan." He stuck out a hand, and she reluctantly shook it.

 _His eyes are really green._ She thought. Then _No. Concentrate on your book._ She picked up the book. She tried to concentrate, she really did. But the memory of his eyes was all she could think about. And his smile, with that perfect mouth. And those freckles-

 _Stop it, A!_ It took her a moment to realize she was holding her book upside down.

Dylan sat down at a table, and decided to follow Artemis's example and read. But he couldn't get the image of her face out of his an instant, when they shook hands, she had smiled. And her eyes lit up, and the dimples in her cheeks were clearly visible, and her mouth-

 _Stop it, Dylan._

"Something tells me you're not actually reading that book." Lindsey, a popular cheerleader, said to him.

"Huh? Why would you say that?" She raised an eyebrow, and walked away. It took him a moment to realize that his book was upside down.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a few weeks later when the party was announced. She didn't find out about it until her biology class, when Dylan had passed her a note.

 _THE PARTY SHOULD BE FUN. ARE YOU GOING?_ He had an annoying habit of writing notes in all Caps. A hadn't responded. She didn't want to go at all, but she knew her mother and Hazel would want her to. She could just picture their arguments. 'It'll be fun!' 'It's part of the college experience!' Rolling her eyes, she picked up her phone and called Hazel.

"Hazel? I am calling for some advice. You see, I'm going to a party . . ."

Two days later, it was the day of the party. A stepped out of her car, and looked with apprehension. There was beer, chips, and couples making out everywhere she looked. She sighed and walked towards the party. Dylan stood in the doorway.

"So you came." She nodded.

"I came, I regretted it, I'm leaving." She turned around, but Dylan grabbed her arm.

"Hey, you iust got here! Give it half an hour. If it's still not fun for you, leave then." Scowling, she stalked inside.

A while later, A was in the kitchen grabbing some chips, when her chemistry lab partner, Brian, walked up to her.

"Hey, Artemis." She grinned at him.

"Hello Brian."

"Want a drink?" He asked, offering her a cup. She hesitated. Her parents had given her plenty of lectures on who and who not to accept a drink from. "It's just lemonade," he added seeing A's discomfort. "It's mine, and it hasn't been out of my sight this whole time." She accepted it, gratefully.

"Thank you." He grinned at her, and walked over to some of his buddies. A took a sip of the lemonade. It was really good, and she was so thirsty. Thirstier than she'd realized. A kept drinking. The more she drank, it seemed, the tjirstier she , it was hot in there. Really hot. Her vision was blurring. There were a lot of people in there. She needed to get out. She was so dizzy. There was a familiar face. A felt like she was underwater as she shouted

"Dylan!" Then her legs collapsed and everything went black.


End file.
